The successful application of biotechnology in crop and plant management and/or improvement is based on the discovery of novel genes and proper means for the control of their expression in resulting transgenic crops. However, commercial use of biotechnology in crop improvement programs is severely hindered by the lack of promoters that can drive gene expression in a tissue-specific and/or or temporally controlled manner. Although there have been reports of inducible promoters in plant biology literature, nonetheless, there are no reports in the art to-date regarding developing xylem cell-specific and/or developing xylem tissue-specific promoters.
Thus there is a need for promoters that are specific for expression in developing xylem cells and/or in developing xylem tissue.